Singapore Is Wary Of The Rise Of The E-cigarette Generation And Fines For Violations Can Reach Up To S$2,000
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Singapore is wary of the rise of the "e-cigarette generation" and fines for violations can reach up to S$2,000
E-cigarette use has surged in Singapore, showing a worrying rise among teenagers and young adults, as the government steps up its crackdown on smoking culture in schools.
[Two Supreme News] According to a report by Singapore's "Straits Times" on April 15, as the global use of disposable e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes surges, experts have sounded the alarm about the dangers of e-cigarettes, especially for teenagers and young people. young people.
According to data from the review journal Emerald Insight, the number of global e-cigarette users is estimated to be 82 million in 2021 and 14.3 million in Southeast Asia. The global e-cigarette and e-cigarette market will be worth US$22.8 billion (S$31 billion) in 2022. Looking at data from various countries, there appears to be an alarming increase in the use of e-cigarettes, especially among teenagers and young adults in their 20s around the world.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, people ages 18 to 24 are the most likely group of adults to use e-cigarettes in 2021. In the same year, 69% of e-cigarette users in the UK were aged 11 to 17. E-cigarette vendors often market their products as a "healthier" alternative to cigarettes or even as a way to quit smoking. They claim that e-cigarette "smoke" typically contains fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mixture of 7,000 chemicals found in regular cigarette smoke.
In December 2023, the World Health Organization urged governments to regulate e-cigarettes in the same way as traditional tobacco and ban all flavors.
Dr. Sewa Duu Wen, head of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Singapore General Hospital, said, "There are still many harmful chemicals in e-cigarette smoke, such as carcinogens, poisons, heavy metals and nanometal particles, which have harmful effects on the body. These compounds have no minimum levels are considered safe to inhale into our bodies," he said, adding that there is little research on the long-term effects of e-cigarettes.
In Singapore, the vaping situation has been getting worse. The number of purchases, uses or possessions of e-cigarettes increased by 58% from approximately 5,000 in 2022 to approximately 7,900 in 2023. As e-cigarettes evolve toward more "personalized" devices, and manufacturers are adding different flavors and additives, people are becoming more aware of the risks posed by these chemicals.
Dr Sewa believes that although schools and higher education institutions have stepped up inspections in recent years, there may still be underestimation. In September 2023, dormitory students at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University said that the culture of smoking e-cigarettes still exists on campus, and some dormitory students even began to purchase e-cigarettes in large quantities from dealers and resell them.
Dr. Aaliki has previously revealed that an average of 7 out of every 1,000 students in primary, secondary and tertiary schools are arrested for smoking and vaping crimes. Buying, possessing or using e-cigarettes here will result in fines of up to S$2,000. First-time offenders who import, distribute, sell or offer for sale vaping devices and their components may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned for up to six months, or both.